Generally speaking, when a wireless carrier distributes wireless communication devices to its subscribers, the carrier will provision each device with a preferred roaming list (PRL), which will indicate an order of preference according to which the device should search for and register with communication systems. In usual practice, the PRL will list as highest priority the carrier's own communication systems (e.g., the carrier's own radio access networks), and the PRL will then list as lower priority other carriers' systems to allow roaming in the event the carrier's systems are not available. Further, within the listing of the carrier's systems, the PRL may prioritize certain types of the carrier's systems over others. For example, if the carrier offers both Wi-Fi and cellular coverage, the PRL might be set to prioritize cellular service over Wi-Fi service. A carrier can initially provision and subsequently change the PRLs in devices in various ways, such as through over-the-air service provisioning or through direct cable connection.
When a carrier rolls out a new type of wireless communication service, the carrier often needs to configure its radio network infrastructure to support the new service. Such configuration typically involves providing sufficient infrastructure elements and programming to be able to serve the new wireless communication service to an expected population of subscribers. That is, the carrier generally needs to ensure that its radio access networks are configured with sufficient capacity to support the carrier's current and new subscribers. Failure to provide sufficient capacity for the subscriber population can result in degradation of service quality for the subscribers, in terms of communication speeds, clarity, or the like.